Doctors find kidney donor for Lomu

New Zealand legend Jonah Lomu - who has been sidelined for over a year now with a serious kidney disease - has revealed that a potential kidney donor has finally been found, prompting hopes that the giant wing could return to competitive rugby.

Lomu was diagnosed with Nephrotic syndrome back in 1996, a rare kidney disease which causes a build-up of water in the body and allows protein to leak from the bloodstream into the urine.

The condition of his kidneys recently deteriorated to the extent that he needs to undergo dialysis three times a week for several hours at a time.

Lomu has suffered severe nerve damage to his feet and lower legs as a result of the treatment, and doctors have warned that he faces life in a wheelchair if he does not receive a kidney transplant.

But Lomu, who attended the 2004 Hong Kong Sevens as an International Rugby Board (IRB) ambassador for the game, told the South China Morning Post that doctors had finally identified a suitable donor.

"I will be back - a close friend of mine has agreed to donate a kidney, and I expect the operation will be done sometime this year," he said.

"If all goes well, I expect to be back playing rugby again. I want to play for the All Blacks again. The surgeon has promised me it will be a success."

Stephen Munn, head of the Auckland Hospital transplant unit, has said his team hope to insert the new kidney in a higher than usual position in Lomu's abdomen, in order to protect it and thereby heightening the winger's chances of returning to the rough and tumble world of Rugby Union.

Lomu first came to prominence in 1994 with a dazzling display of talent at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, and that same year became the youngest All Black Test player of all-time when he played against France in a two-Test series, which NZ lost on home soil.

The following year Lomu made headlines at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa with a string of stunning displays, scoring four tries in the All Blacks' semi-final rout of England in Cape Town.

He has played a total of 63 Tests for New Zealand, and has scored 37 tries.